AVT Print Inspection FAQ

Yes. Helios is designed for versatile installation and can be deployed either on-press or on a rewinder, giving label converters the flexibility to fit inspection into their specific production setup. When installed on a rewinder, Helios inspects finished rolls during the rewinding process, catching any defects that need to be removed before the roll reaches the customer.

Installing Helios on-press enables early detection of process defects while printing is still in progress. This allows operators to apply immediate corrective action, reducing waste and preventing costly reprints. Installing on a rewinder means inspection takes place after printing, which is useful for operations that do not have space on their press or that need to inspect pre-printed rolls. In both cases, Helios records all defects and can feed that data into WorkFlow Link for automated defect removal during finishing.

Helios efficiently identifies a wide range of defects, including missing labels, text defects, color variations, barcode verification, strikes, mis-registration and other print quality issues, ensuring consistent output quality across every roll. Special inspection features like varnish and continuous & Random are also available as additional set ups.

Yes. Helios Core is tailored for printers who seek AVT’s renowned inspection quality while operating within a budget. It provides reliable performance and quality assurance for labels and narrow web applications, ensuring high standards even in cost-conscious operations. Helios Core is ideal for small to mid-sized printing operations that want to significantly reduce rework and waste without a significant capital investment.

Yes. WorkFlow Link for Labels is designed to work together with AVT’s 100% inspection platforms, including Helios. Once Helios detects and records defects during printing, WorkFlow Link uses that PrintFlow data to automatically stop the rewinder at the precise location of each defect, so faulty material can be removed quickly and efficiently. This eliminates the need for manual inspection on the rewinder and allows the rewinder to run at full speed between defects, maximizing throughput and ensuring only quality, defect-free rolls are delivered to customers.

Yes. Apollo Turbo HD can be installed on-press for online quality assurance and process control, or it can be integrated into rewinder/finishing equipment to create a combined Automatic Inspection Station. When installed on a laminator, the system detects common lamination errors such as glue misprints, material folding, and air bubbles. Its color-coded light tower alerts operators in real time when a defect is detected, and self-generated reports enable easy tracking of marked defects during the finishing process, resulting in 100% guaranteed quality assurance on every print job.

Apollo Turbo HD is designed to inspect a wide range of materials commonly used in the packaging industry, including transparent films, flexible substrates, and reflective materials. Advanced application support modules are available to extend inspection capabilities to challenging materials such as reflective surfaces, transparent films, varnishes, UV inks, and cold seal coatings.

Apollo Turbo HD automatically detects a comprehensive range of defects in real time, including color variations, doctor blade streaks, misprints, low contrast defects, mis-registration, spots, splashes, text defects, barcode issues, and defects on cold seal, varnish, and transparent coatings. When installed on a laminator, it also detects lamination-specific errors such as glue misprints, material folding, and air bubbles.

Yes. WorkFlow Link for Packaging is an optional add-on module for AVT 100% automatic inspection platforms, including Apollo Turbo HD. It provides a reliable connection between the press and finishing machines – from printing through lamination to rewinding, slitting, and doctoring. Once deployed, WorkFlow Link carefully tracks and controls the removal of defective material, ensuring only quality products leave the line. By eliminating the need for manual inspection, WorkFlow Link allows converting machinery to run at maximum speed, stopping only at the precise location of confirmed defects.

AVT Argus Turbo HD is purpose-built for wide web packaging applications. Installed on-press or integrated into rewinder/finishing equipment, it provides 100% quality assurance on every print job, inspecting the full web at resolutions ranging from 8K to 16K – quality levels that cannot be matched by other systems. Apollo Turbo HD automatically detects imperfections in real time, including color variations, doctor blade streaks, misprints, low contrast defects, mis-registration, spots, splashes, and more. More than 50% of all high-end inspection and quality assurance systems installed globally are AVT platforms. AVT Argus combines the high detailed area inspection of the Jupiter with the 100% line-inspection of the Apollo Turbo HD, and together it provides the ultimate inspection system for flexible packaging printing.

Each technology serves a different purpose. The 100% inspection component scans the entire web continuously at production speed, ensuring no defect anywhere on the roll goes undetected. The area camera allows operators – and the system’s automatic detection software – to zoom into specific package areas at very high resolution to examine fine details, verify text, check small print elements, or investigate an alert from the 100% inspection layer. Together they provide both the breadth of total web coverage and the depth of close-up detail that packaging converters require for demanding brand-owner specifications.

The 100% inspection component detects that a defect exists and pinpoints its location on the roll. The area camera adds the ability to view that defect – or any other location of interest – in very high resolution, enabling operators to make informed decisions about defect severity, understand the root cause, and adjust the press process accordingly. The area camera also supports proactive process control: operators can zoom in on any part of the printed image at any time to verify print quality details that are too small or subtle to be assessed at full production speed.

Argus Turbo HD is designed for packaging converters running wide web applications, particularly flexible packaging and labels where both complete defect coverage and detailed process control are required. It supports all web press substrates including transparent, flexible, and reflective materials, and is available with optional add-on modules for advanced applications such as reflective surfaces, UV inks, varnishes, cold seal coatings, barcode and Digimarc verification, inline Delta E color measurement (SpectraLab XF), automated job setup (AutoSet), and MIS connectivity.

A common deployment combines Argus Turbo HD on the printing press for best-in-class process control and waste reduction during printing, Apollo Turbo HD installed on the laminator for quality assurance during lamination, and WorkFlow Link on the slitter-rewinder for automated defect removal. In this setup, Argus controls print quality and prevents reprints at the press stage; Apollo detects and records both print and lamination issues; and WorkFlow Link uses the combined defect data to automatically stop the rewinder at each confirmed defect, enabling clean, efficient waste removal. This workflow is simpler to implement than alternatives because there is no need for a WorkFlow Link Tracker or inkjet marking system, and it provides the ability to detect and remove both print and lamination issues in a single pass.

Jupiter uses a high-resolution 3-chip digital color area camera with up to 16x optical zoom to automatically detect defects and support process control across packaging web printing applications. It inspects user-defined areas of interest at very high resolution and at speeds up to 800 m/min. However, Jupiter does not perform 100% coverage of the entire printed web – it inspects at defined steps or locations rather than scanning every cm. of the roll continuously. This makes Jupiter a powerful process control and viewing tool, but for applications where every single defect across the full web must be caught, a 100% inspection system such as Apollo Turbo HD or the Argus Turbo HD combination is required.

Yes. Jupiter is upgradable to Argus Turbo HD, AVT’s combined 100% inspection and area camera system. This upgrade path protects your initial investment: your Jupiter installation becomes the area camera viewing and high-resolution inspection component of Argus Turbo HD, with the 100% inspection module added alongside it.

Jupiter uses a high-resolution 3-chip digital color camera with a resolution of 1,552 x 1,168 x 3 pixels and up to 16x optical zoom. At zoom level x1, the field of view is 240 mm x 180 mm (approximately 9.44″ x 7.08″). The LED illumination and dedicated Jupiter Advanced Automatic Inspection software enable it to detect imperfections in real time at press speeds up to 800 m/min (2,132 ft/min).

Jupiter is designed exclusively for packaging web printing applications and supports all press types and print technologies. It is compatible with transparent and flexible substrates commonly used in the packaging industry, including films and reflective materials. The system can be operated as a standalone unit or integrated directly into the press control console, and its multilingual user interface is supported across global markets.

WorkFlow Link is an end-to-end workflow solution that provides a trusted and reliable connection between your press and finishing machines – covering the full chain from printing through lamination to rewinding, slitting, and doctoring. Using the defect location data recorded by the on-press inspection system (stored in PrintFlow), WorkFlow Link automatically stops the rewinder at the precise location of each confirmed defect so that faulty material can be quickly and efficiently removed. By eliminating the need for manual inspection on the rewinder, WorkFlow Link allows converting machinery to run at maximum speed, stopping only when and where it needs to.

WorkFlow Link is an optional add-on module for AVT’s 100% automatic inspection platforms. It is available in two variants: WorkFlow Link for Labels, designed for narrow web and label applications, and WorkFlow Link for Packaging, designed for wide web flexible packaging workflows spanning press, laminator, and slitter-rewinder.

During printing, the 100% inspection system detects and records every defect with its precise location on the roll, storing this data in AVT’s PrintFlow reporting and archiving system. After printing, a barcode is applied to the end of the roll. When the roll reaches the rewinder, WorkFlow Link automatically identifies the roll via the barcode and loads the corresponding defect location data. The rewinder then runs at full speed and stops automatically at each flagged defect location, guided by a WorkFlow Link Tracker unit, so operators can remove only the confirmed defective sections without manually searching the roll.

Both solutions perform the same core function – automatically stopping the rewinder at defect locations to enable efficient defect removal – but they are tailored to different production environments. WorkFlow Link for Labels is designed for narrow web and label printing, connecting the press to the rewinder. WorkFlow Link for Packaging is designed for wide web flexible packaging converters and supports a more complex multi-machine workflow, connecting the press through lamination to the slitter-rewinder and providing defect tracking across multiple finishing stages.

WorkFlow Link is designed to run efficiently with minimal operator intervention. The system automatically identifies each roll, loads defect data, and stops the rewinder at defect locations without requiring an operator to manually locate defects. Rolls can be reviewed and edited by press operators, rewinder operators, or QA managers, giving flexibility in how your team manages the workflow. The result is machine-time optimization: the rewinder runs at full speed continuously and stops only on relevant defects, freeing operator time for other tasks.

SpectraLab XF is an inline spectrophotometer – it measures color objectively and quantitatively, reporting L*a*b*, density, dot gain, and Delta E values against your color standards in real time during production. A 100% print inspection system detects visual defects – such as streaks, spots, misregistration, text errors, and missing print – across the entire web. SpectraLab XF focuses specifically on color accuracy: it reads hundreds of color measurements per color per job, alerts operators when a color is out of tolerance, and recommends correction actions via SpectraLab BestMatch. The two systems are complementary and can be used together on the same press to cover both color conformance and visual quality simultaneously.

SpectraLab XF is designed to work alongside your existing handheld devices, not replace them entirely. AVT’s Global Agreement Model ensures that SpectraLab XF measures color in the same way as your handheld, so measurements are directly comparable. By automating color measurement during production – reading hundreds of patches per color in every roll – SpectraLab XF eliminates the manual, time-consuming process of stopping to scan color patches with a handheld, and removes the need for frequent operator intervention. Handheld devices may still be used for spot checks, color sign-off, or off-press measurement, but the bulk of production color monitoring is handled automatically by SpectraLab XF.

SpectraLab XF measures and reports CIE L*a*b* color values, Status T and Status E optical density, and Tone Value (dot gain). It operates at a 0/45° measuring geometry with a 2 mm aperture, covers a spectral range of 400–700 nm at 10 nm intervals, supports measurement conditions M0, M1, and M2, and is compatible with D50, D55, and D65 illuminants and both 2° and 10° CIE standard observers. Supported materials include clear and white films, paper, and carton board, with a minimum target size of 4 x 4 mm. SpectraLab XF is X-Rite XRGA-compliant, ensuring measurements are repeatable, accurate, and consistent with industry standards.

SpectraLab XF is designed for deep integration with X-Rite’s color ecosystem. During make-ready, it connects to X-Rite Ink Formulation, automatically sending inline color measurements and receiving ink adjustment recommendations. During production, it embeds the X-Rite BestMatch algorithm to recommend real-time color corrections, and it integrates with X-Rite ColorCert by uploading inline measurements to the ColorCert Scorecard server – providing brand customers with detailed color reports that show what is happening inside every roll. Job setup is fast thanks to automatic identification of color patch locations using ColorCert CCJ files.

Yes. SpectraLab XF is listed as an optional add-on module for AVT inspection platforms, including within the Argus Turbo HD and Helios product families. Running both together gives converters complete quality coverage: SpectraLab XF handles inline absolute color measurement – measuring L*a*b*, density, and dot gain in parallel with printing – while the 100% inspection system detects visual print defects across the entire web. Together they deliver both color conformance and defect-free production in a single integrated workflow.

The right system depends on what you print and what level of quality assurance you need. If you run narrow web or label printing, Helios delivers 100% inspection specifically designed for that environment. If you run wide web flexible packaging and need total 100% quality assurance, Apollo Turbo HD is the right platform. If you run wide web packaging and want both 100% defect detection and high-resolution area viewing for in-depth process control, Argus Turbo HD combines both in one system. If you are looking for a high-resolution area camera inspection solution with the option to upgrade to 100% inspection later, Jupiter is the right starting point – and it can be upgraded to Argus Turbo HD as your needs grow.

A 100% inspection system uses a high-resolution camera sensor that spans the full width of the web and scans every centimetre of every print continuously at production speed. No part of the roll is left uninspected. An area-camera system uses a high-resolution zoom camera that inspects specific locations – user-defined areas of interest, repeat steps, or locations triggered by detection alerts – at very high magnification. Area cameras provide exceptional detail and process visibility but do not guarantee that every defect on the full web is detected. In AVT’s product range, Helios and Apollo Turbo HD deliver 100% inspection; Jupiter provides area-camera inspection; and Argus Turbo HD combines both technologies for complete coverage plus detailed process control.

AVT offers distinct platforms optimized for each application: Helios for narrow web labels and Argus Turbo HD or Apollo Turbo HD for wide web flexible packaging. If you run both on separate lines, the most effective approach is to deploy the appropriate platform on each press type. The AVT product ecosystem is designed so that workflows, reporting (PrintFlow), and WorkFlow Link can operate consistently across multiple platforms, giving your quality team a unified view of production across both lines.

AVT inspection systems – including Helios, Apollo Turbo HD, Argus Turbo HD, and Jupiter – are designed to be installed on existing presses without requiring new press equipment. Helios, for example, can be installed on-press or on a rewinder, fitting into a variety of existing production setups. AutoSet, AVT’s automated job setup module, further simplifies integration by connecting the prepress workflow (Esko Automation Engine) directly to the inspection system, automating job setup and eliminating manual data entry.

They serve different and complementary purposes – neither replaces the other. A 100% inspection system (Helios, Apollo, or Argus) detects visual print defects: streaks, spots, misregistration, text errors, missing print, barcode issues, and more. SpectraLab XF measures color accuracy quantitatively: L*a*b* values, density, dot gain, and Delta E against your approved color standards. A press room can have excellent color accuracy but still ship rolls with streaks or text defects – and conversely, can have zero visual defects but still deliver packaging with colors outside brand tolerance. Running both together gives you complete, measurable quality assurance across both dimensions.